Early Head Start is an intervention program for school readiness designed for pregnant women and children ages 0–3 to provide comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and services for children and families with low-incomes in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Originally, Head Start was created in 1965 for children 3–5 years of age. However, the reauthorization of the Head Start Act in 1994 by the United States (U.S.) Congress created the new program Early Head Start to strengthen early intervention efforts. Research and practice suggests that early intervention for infants and toddlers through high quality programs can enhance the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of children; strengthen parents’ caregiving, language and literacy skills; and support the economic independence of parents.
The long term success of Early Head Start is evidenced by significant gains in children’s cognitive development and their social-emotional development...
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Suggested Reading
Administration for Children and Families (2002). Making a difference in the lives of infants and toddlers and their families: The impact of Early Head Start. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Administration for Children and Families (2003). Head Start FACES (2000): A whole-child perspective on program performance. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Garces, E., Thomas, D., & Currie, J. (2002Longer-term effects of head start. American Economic Association, 92(4), 999–1012., September).
Suggested Resources
Early Head Start Toolkit—http://www.headstartinfo.org/infocenter/ehs_tkit1.htm: This website offers research and publications from the Head Start Bureau on Early Head Start.
Early Head Start Almanac—http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/programs/ehs/ehsalmanac.htm: This website contains information on the history and statistics of Early Head Start.
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Boyce, C.A., Tarullo, L.B. (2010). Early Head Start. In: Clauss-Ehlers, C.S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cross-Cultural School Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9_146
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71799-9_146
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